FrostCovered Exile
by Areluna
Summary: It's cold in the northern country of Hushia, but even the most hated pony of all Equestria can find beacons of warmth in the snow. New life, new apprentices, new war, and don't forget: Penumbra Sparks isn't another normal citizen. She's a fugitive so get ready, get set, go! *Help a new writer find her rhythm and style and you won't regret it!


**Frost-Covered Exile**

by Joahikim

Begins With a Cliffhanger

* * *

_**Tuesday, 21st Day of the Month of Holly, Year 3812**_

_Dear Journal,_

_ What a day! Two nights ago I had just come home from a weekend of meetings at the University of Whoscow. It turns out, the Campus President and Deans of Mathematics and Thaumatology were impressed by my recently published paper in the _"Husshian Scientific Journal", _you know, the one I've been slaving over for the past three months, and they asked me if I was willing to help them with a certain problem. It just so happens that two professors were caught taking bribes from their students and were fired immediately. The spring semester starts towards the end of next month and they need someone to cover the now teacher-less classes. After interviewing me, they asked if I would be willing to work as the new professor for both mathematics and thaumatology classes._

_ Now, usually, I would have told them yes on the spot; I've always wanted to earn my PhD and teach at a university. But I'm still adjusting to being a wife, and adjusting to... well, just adjusting to this new chapter in life. Any how, I told them I would have to sleep on it, and I would let them know the next day. After a quick tour of the campus (which is very beautiful and large, with over twenty thousand students!) I went back to my hotel in Whoscow and called Korinth on the crystal, telling him about my day and the job offer. He said he couldn't tell me what to do, and that I should just follow my heart. The following morning I told the president and the deans that I would be very happy to accept their offer. They were absolutely ecstatic and sent me home with the course material. I think they went through a bit trouble in finding a suitable teacher for the departments; the press was knocking on my door at the hotel a few hours after I'd accepted, asking about my new job. Reminded me of the time after— Nope, not thinking about that!_

_ Well, aside from achieving my life-long goal (albeit, in a totally unforeseen manner), these past few days have been spent in deep thought. It's almost Hearth's Warming, and I've yet to get gifts for all my friends and family! Today I was supposed to go the Underground and check on some of the custom order presents and look around for things that would be good gifts. Firefly's goggles are coming in tomorrow, Moondancer's camera the day after next, but the in-law's photo album was ready to be wrapped today. I can't wait to see the look on their faces when they open it! The enchantments on the photos were cast by me, but the book was bound and organized by a scrapbooker from the Market. But as I was on my way to Jackie's food stand, I ran into Sonia! It's been half a year since I last saw her and the Roamani tribe. She was in town, trying to get a performance permit for the week so she and the tribe can earn extra Coll as winter ends. So, I told her to come with me to the Council Hall and we caught up on each others lives along the way. It seems that Talia and Jorgis had their foal, twins actually! And it seems that Trixie has been waiting to see me as well; something about 'enhancing Trixie's spectacular magic show'. I'll be meeting everyone tomorrow after their show at noon at the Underground._

_ I can't thank Sonia enough for all the help she so generously gave. I will forever be in her debt. But now is not the time to reminisce, Kor is tickling my ear. Or he would be if he weren't tickling my new illusion spell. Details on that in my magic journal!_

_Signing off,_

_Penumbra Sparks_

* * *

"Trixie thinks that you are lying Penny!"

"And Penny thinks that you should stop yelling in the third person. The whole Underground is staring at you." An ice blue unicorn mare looked critically at her now blushing companion. They were sitting at Don's Underground Cafe, though it was just a stall with a bar table and great food. Trixie grumbled something about cold friends before repeating herself in a softer, but still accusatory voice.

"I still think you're lying. How in all the world did you, of all people, find someone as handsome and powerful as _that_?" Trixie's blue hoof pointed down at the picture of a recently married couple: Penny and her new husband Korinth 'Kor' Veritas. The bride was beautiful, dressed like the princess she now was, but the groom was equally stunning in his princely attire, a dark silver doublet, embroidered with gold thread, adorned with only two small medals and a royal blue sash. Trixie licked her lips slyly, "Where can I get one?"

Penny shoved her lightly, giggling, "Well, he does have a cousin..."

"You have to introduce me!"

"Sure, if you don't mind baby-sitting for a five year old!" The look on the showmare's face was priceless as Penny laughed at her expense. Really, did she think it was going to be that easy? She chuckled mentally, thinking that after all this time and Trixie had barely changed. But she supposed that was a good thing: something from her past needed to be constant, even if the nature of their relationship changed. Which reminded her, "Hey Trix, Sonia mentioned that you wanted to ask me something?"

Though normally brimming with an over-inflated ego, Trixie looked down meekly at the cup of tea in her hooves, letting her silver mane fall over part of her face. "Trixie—that is to say I... I was wondering if..." her words trailed off as she mumbled the last bit of her question.

"What was that Trixie? Speak up," Penny nudged the unicorn, prodding her to repeat herself.

"I asked if..." she trailed off into a quiet whisper again.

"You know, I can't answer your question if I can't hear you."

Trixie sucked in a breath of air, "IwaswonderingifIcouldbeyoura pprentice!"

Boy, that was quick. Did Trixie just ask if she would take her in as an apprentice? That—that was something serious to consider. No master of any craft would take in an apprentice as old as Trixie, and even if she were of an appropriate age, the showmare was already quite talented and accomplished. So—

"Why do you want that?" Amethyst eyes narrowed slightly, looking for an answer in magenta orbs. She found loss, loneliness, and a fire, a drive to succeed.

"Because I won't take no for an answer." The mare was determined to be her apprentice it seemed. But that wasn't enough. Apprenticeships were time-consuming, and required one's whole attention or they would never go on and eventually become masters.

Heck, technically she wasn't a master either, having abandoned her own apprenticeship before she could be considered a journeymare. She asked another question. "Why me? Why not Talia or Sylvette? They've got more experience than I do in show magic, and I'm pretty sure they're willing to take you in."

Trixie knew she would ask that. For her, it was an obvious choice, but if the circumstances were different, she doubted she would have ever counted Penny as her friend. She recalled the day she saw the ice blue mare stomping her white hooves in a Roamani dance-off in Stalliongrad...

* * *

_It was a bad day for the Great and Powerful Trixie and she had blamed it on the two caravans stealing her audience; especially one blue mare clothed in rags ponies called a dress, who seemed to be the center of attraction. Packing her small cart-turned-stage (though it was more of a large soapbox after the Ponyville incident), counting the twelve bits she made, and adjusting her awful green cape and hat, GPT planned to march towards the gypsy performers, intent on teaching that black maned filly a lesson in performer's etiquette . After the show had ended, Trixie stomped over to the performers resting area behind the stage in the plaza. Instead of coming face to face with some exotic beauty, some gem of the nomadic ponies full of naivete and innocence, she met with the one mare she never ever wanted to see again. Their eyes locked for a brief second before Trixie opened her mouth, anger covering up her initial surprise._

"_Twi—oof!"a hastily shoved hoof stopped her from finishing her loud declaration. Who did she think she was, silencing, nay, even daring to touch the Great and Powerful Trixie?! How dare she think herself so great to even look Trixie in the eye! She was weaker than Trixie, and Trixie intended to prove it._

_But that sneaky unicorn dressed in the unfashionable style of the Roamani and bell-adorned hooves had somehow flashed them to an empty alley, away from prying eyes. Well, if she wanted a private lesson, then who was The Great and Powerful Trixie to deny her prey one last request before crushing her in Trixie's resplendent glory? "The Great and Powerful Trixie demands that you—oof!"_

_Again with the hoof! Now the gloves were off you miserable little—"How in the name of Genesis did you recognize me?" Of all the things to say— preferably _'Oh no, it's The Great and Powerful Trixie! Please spare me!'— _**that** was what she had to say?_

"_Please, how could The Great and Powerful Trixie not recognize her archenemy, Twil— mmph!" She shoved the offending hoof away from her fabulous persona and glared with the heat of ten suns at the owner of said hoof. "Will you stop that! Trixie does not appreciate the taste of common sweat and dirt on her tongue!" Her murderous glare was met with a cool neutral expression on the ice blue pony's face. Wait a second, wasn't her coat supposed to be purple?_

"_My coat is lavender, thank you." How in Tartarus did she know what she was thinking? Was she a—"No, I am not a mind reader, but your sorry face says it all. Now do me a favor and shut up. Meet me at the Roamani camp outside of town after sunset, if you want to talk about being 'archenemies' and all that. And **don't **say my name. Just ask for Penny," and with that she flashed away again, leaving a gaping showmare alone in the alley._

_What. The. Hay._

_How— That wasn't— Gah! What a frustrating mare! First she had the gall to upstage Trixie at the height of her career, and now she dared treat Trixie so coolly? Trixie was the only 'cool' one here, and she was going to prove it to that upstart excuse for a unicorn at sunset!_

* * *

And those plans had failed miserably. So fueled by her desire to best the mare who had bested her, Trixie failed to realize a few things that night: one, her rival was pulling punches; two, it was a thrown match; three, her opponent was a fugitive; and four, said rival was Twilight Sparkle, traitor to Equestria, and Princess Celestia's assassin.


End file.
